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UNSTOPPABLE CHANGE IN THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR

STELLENBOSCH – Soon the days of expensive offices occupied by agents paying 50% of their hard earned commission may be over. This, according to Antonie Goosen, principal of Meridian Realty, is part of an unstoppable change that is heading towards the real estate sector.

Over the past decade, the real estate sector has been transformed. Not only has the more stringent qualification criteria lead to an overall professionalization within the industry, but the dawn and growth of the Internet and social media has transformed the way in which buyers and sellers approach real estate. According to recent studies conducted in the USA, over 90% of all buyers start their property search on the Internet. The battle ground for dominance of the industry is therefore currently within the domain of cyberspace. Today we live in a world where information is literally at people’s fingertips, and to truly harness the power of the web, estate agents have to provide better information and be able to respond in record time to queries, according to Goosen.

These factors, among others, has lead to the launch of a division within Meridian Realty focused on servicing professional estate agents working on their own terms from their own homes or offices by providing them with the unparalleled services and support that Meridian Realty has become known for.

This services include access to: a professional photographer; video and virtual tours showcasing properties; a fully qualified principal estate agent; an array of legal documentation required in the estate agency business and virtual private assistants that take care of administrative tasks on behalf of the agents such as loading the listings onto the various property portals and following up on FICA administration.

Another ground breaking factor that sets Meridian Realty apart is its commission offering, where agents can retain up to 100% of their commission once they have reached a certain threshold.

The success of this unique business model can be seen in the fact that over 25 i-Agents have joined Meridian Realty since the launch of this division in January 2014.

On the 19th of September these i-Agents got together at a training and networking event at Knorhoek Wine Estate. Testimonials were made by some of the leading estate agents from within the group, that currently serve areas as diverse as the Atlantic Seaboard, Southern Suburbs, Northern Suburbs, Stellenbosch, Klapmuts, Betty’s Bay, Pringle Bay, Hermanus and Helderberg.

Camps Bay or Kraaifontein? Winelands to Whale Coast? It makes no difference. All properties are approached in the same professional manner and all agents, though independent, become part of a supportive family focused on one goal: to make dreams come home.